Released: 1989

Lineup: Portnoy, Petrucci, Myung, Moore, Dominici

Length: 51:30

Tracklist: (click songs for 30 second samples!)

1. A Fortune In Lies 5:12
2. Status Seeker 4:17
3. Ytse Jam 5:43
4. The Kiling Hand 8:42 (45 second sample)
5. Light Fuse and Get Away 7:23
6. Afterlife 5:27
7. The Ones Who help to Set the Sun 8:05 (45 second sample)
8. Only A Matter of Time 6:37

• My Review

• This was Dream Theater's first album.
• This is the first, and last album to feature Charlie Dominici on vocals.
• This album was released on Mechanic Records, which was a subsidiary of MCA records. Shortly after the album's release, the band bought their way out of the contract and signed to ATCO records. The band does not own the rights to the recording.
• "Ytsejam" is a backwards spelling of "Majesty", the band's original name. This was Mike's idea.
• While recording this album, the band shared the studio with Queensryche.
• The poor production on this album is due to time and money restraints, which can be blamed on the record label.
• The liner notes have a major glaring error, namely, the "replacing Dominici with newcomer Kerin Moore" line. This is an error as Kevin was already in the band, it should read "replacing Dominici with newcomer James LaBrie". This is perhaps due to LaBrie's real first name being Kevin, although due to kevin moore's name and picture being in the liner notes, this is ridiculously inexcusable.
• The album art shows the first appearance of the "Majesty Symbol" which was to become DT's trademark logo. You can see it about to be branded on the man's chest.
• This is the only DT album to not have the title on the cover.
• The title of this album is taken from the lyrics to Only A Matter of Time.
• Dominici originally wanted to call this album "Once Upon a Time".
• Although the band said they'd never re-record it, and don't own the rights to remix or remsater it, they have released When Dream And Day Reunite (also availalbe on on DVD) which is the band performing the entire album in it's entirety from the Los Angeles show in 2004
• There are actually 4 versions of this out there. The original recording, the remastered version. The remastered version in a limited edition digipack and the recent bargain-priced "Signature Edition"
• "Status Seeker" was released as a radio single, though it did not receive much airplay.